Characteristics of

Instruments

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

A Step Towards Design of

Instruments.

Basic Steps in Development of Instruments

Development of Mathematical Model for Identification of
Parameters to be measured.
Identification of characteristics to be possessed by a
general Instruments.
Qualitative and Quantitative models for determination of
Instrument design details.
Selection of geometrical and physical parameters.

Characteristics of measurement systems

To choose the instrument, most suited to a particular
measurement application, we have to know the system
characteristics.
The performance characteristics may be broadly divided into
two groups, namely static and dynamic characteristics.
Static characteristics
the performance criteria for the measurement of quantities
that remain constant, or vary only quite slowly.
Dynamic characteristics
the relationship between the system input and output when
the measured quantity (measurand) is varying rapidly.

Generalized Instrument System

Thermal
Variable

Generalized Instrument System

Instruments formed from a connection of blocks.

Static Performance of Instrument

SYSTEMATIC CHARACTERISTICS
Range
Span
Linearity
Sensitivity
Environmental effects
Hysteresis
Resolution
Death space

Range
The input range defines the minimum and maximum value
of the variable to measure.
The output rage defines the minimum and maximum value
of the signal given by the transducer.
Assume a temperature transducer which temperature range
is from 100C to 250C and the output range is given from
4 to 10 mV.

Span
The input span is the maximum change of the input and the
output span is the maximum change of the output.
Input span:

I MAX I MIN
Output span:

OMAX OMIN

Linearity
It is normally desirable that the
output reading of an
instrument is linearly
proportional to the quantity
being measured.
An instrument is considered if
the relationship between
output an input can be fitted in
a line.

O OMIN

Omax

Omin
Imin

OMAX OMIN

I I MIN
I MAX I MIN

Imax

 No-linearity is defined as the maximum deviation of the

output over the straight line

No-Linearity can be quoted by: N I O I K I a

Maximum % of No-Linearity :

N max I

100
OMAX OMIN

Sensitivity
The sensitivity of measurement is a measure of the change
in instrument output that occurs when the quantity being
measured changes by a given amount.
Thus, sensitivity is the ratio:

Environmental effects
All calibrations and specifications of an instrument are only
valid under controlled conditions of temperature, pressure
etc.
These standard ambient conditions are usually defined in
the instrument specification.
As variations occur in the ambient temperature, etc., certain
static instrument characteristics change, and the sensitivity
to disturbance is a measure of the magnitude of this change.
Such environmental changes affect instruments in two main
ways, known as zero drift and sensitivity drift.
Zero drift is sometimes known by the alternative term, bias.

Instrument Drift

This is caused by variations taking place in the parts of the

instrumentation over time.
Prime sources occur as chemical structural changes and
changing mechanical stresses.
Drift is a complex phenomenon for which the observed effects
are that the sensitivity and offset values vary.
It also can alter the accuracy of the instrument differently at the
various amplitudes of the signal present.

Classification of Drift

Hysteresis and Backlash

Careful observation of the output/input relationship of a
block will sometimes reveal different results as the signals
vary in direction of the movement.
Mechanical systems will often show a small difference in
length as the direction of the applied force is reversed.
The same effect arises as a magnetic field is reversed in a
magnetic material.
This characteristic is called hysteresis
Where this is caused by a mechanism that gives a sharp
change, such as caused by the looseness of a joint in a
mechanical joint, it is easy to detect and is known as
backlash.